The Last of Us: A Retelling
by TheLonelyMan
Summary: I was going to make this a story about Joel and Tess switching roles in the game's plot, but instead, I've decided to keep them together and see what happens. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Joel sat on the balcony, starring out over the skyline of a ruined Boston.

Behind him, he could hear Tess and Ellie checking their ammunition and supplies. "Ellie, pass me your bullets." "I'm out, Tess." "Shit, I'm almost out. Go ask Joel if he has some." "He looks kinda out of it, Tess. Maybe we should give him some space."

Joel heard every word, but he wasn't really listening. Instead, he was thinking over the journey they had made thus far, how every circumstance had lined up perfectly to bring them to this moment.

No less than 24 hours prior, he and Tess were just another pair of smugglers trying to survive in a shitty time and an even shittier place. Demand for smuggled goods, especially guns, was high, but the risk kept getting greater. Guards wanted more bribes to look the other way, random searches of suspected hideouts and tunnels were increasing, and the availability of dealers willing to sell their wares was falling, either through illness, or desertion, or worse, simply up and disappearing without a trace.

Joel knew he and Tess had endured more than their fair share of setbacks. But it seemed that their days as the best smugglers in the Boston Safe Zone were ending. And he didn't know what the hell they were going to do after. Become just another homeless couple begging for food from the ration officer? Try to escape and get shot by FDRA troops? Or just get bitten and die?

Then Marlene had shown up. Joel knew she was with the Fireflies, and that worried him. The Fireflies were the kind of people who lacked any instinct for survival. They just wanted to die, and they sure as hell didn't care who they took with them. When Marlene asked them to smuggle something for her, Joel was convinced that it had to be some new weapon they'd cooked up for an ambush or whatnot. He had been rehearsing his "We ain't gonna help you on your goddamn suicide mission" speech the entire way to the drop point.

But then he'd met Ellie. Just a little teenage girl.

Marlene had told him and Tess that Ellie was meant for some greater purpose. That the Fireflies had sacrificed a great deal of their men and resources to keep her safe. That they needed her brought to Beacon Hill to be transported to some secret facility where this "purpose" would be achieved. Joel didn't care about the finer details and so he didn't ask for them. All that mattered was that he and Tess would get back their last stash of guns, worth more than enough to get them through the next year.

His mind snapped out of it when he heard Ellie popping down next to him. "Are we there yet, Joel?", she teased.

Joel was too tired to be annoyed. But out in the distance, he could see the golden dome of what had once been the state capitol.

They were almost there. And then he and Tess could go back to the way things had always been.


	2. Chapter 2

As the trio made their way through the swamp that had formed in front of the capitol, Joel conferred with Tess as to what they would do next.

"Tess, we need to be sure that Marlene'll holds up her end of the deal."

"She's got honor, Joel. We give her people the girl, she'll give us the guns."

"And how are you so sure?"

"We both know her, Joel. She doesn't give a damn what our kind does, so long as it doesn't get in the way."

Finally, they reached the large wooden doors that led inside. Despite being in serious need of some varnish, they looked as though 30-some years of disaster had not affected them one bit.

Tess took the lead. "Now remember, Joel, these folks are trigger-happy and they don't like to be spooked. So I need you on your best behavior. Don't insult them, and don't look them in the eye. I'll do the talking."

The doors swung open, a musty smell blew in their faces...and there was nothing but silence.

Because in the lobby, where there were supposed to be two dozen Fireflies armed to the teeth waiting for them, a whole bunch of corpses lying in their own blood greeted them instead.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Tess ran over to the nearest body and started searching it frantically.

"Tess, we're shit out of luck. Now can we go home, please?"

"You've gotta to be fucking kidding, Joel. We've come all this way, we're seeing this shit through."

"Tess, this is not our problem. We don't need to get involved in whatever the hell these idiots got themselves into."

"But, Joel..."

"It is over, Tess! Now, we tried our best. Let's just go home."

"And what about the girl, Joel? Are we just gonna leave her here?"

"Marlene can take her for all I care. We nearly lost our lives because of that bitch. And when I find her, she will give us our guns back, or so help me..."

Ellie spoke up. "Uh, guys?"

A loud, rumbling sound could be heard outside. Joel and Tess recognized it right away.

"Shit, it's FDRA!"

"Joel, we need to get her out of here."

"And then what, Tess?"

"We need a car. Bill'll have one."

"And how the hell do you know that?"

"He owes me for the last delivery. Now shut the hell up and let's get moving."

Racing upstairs, they could hear the commander ordering his men to bust down the doors. "Remember, men, no prisoners. Anything that moves that isn't us, shoot it."


	3. Chapter 3

The men carefully made their way through the buildings, guns at the ready. Above them, the three fugitives found a way to cross over to the state museum through the press room.

Joel caught his breath. "We need some weapons if we're gonna get through this."

"I've still got three clips. You?"

"Two. Not enough."

"What about this?"

Ellie pointed to a dead Firefly slumped against a wall. A sniper, judging from the rifle in his arms.

Tess picked it up. "You know how to use this?"

"I'm from Texas. We learn how to shoot these before we walk."

As they continued to move, the group was careful to slip past any soldiers they could. Those that got in the way were disabled by Joel and Tess using chokeholds.

Eventually, they managed to slip out the back. There was an old subway tunnel that led to the outskirts of Boston, far from FDRA's control.

Tess and Ellie went first, with Joel falling behind to make sure that they weren't followed. Just as he reached the middle of the stairs, a huge Humvee rolled up.

"Shit! Get down!"

The Humvee opened fire with its mounted machine gun, but the three had already gotten out of range. Joel could practically hear the driver cursing as he tried to move the heavy rig so that the pursuit could continue.

Tess looked worried. "Can they follow us?"

"Yes. But we'll be far ahead before they can."

The tunnel was heavily flooded. Joel and Tess could swim, but to their annoyance, Ellie could not. "I never learned, alright?"

With no other options, Joel fashioned a raft from some wood and used it to ferry Ellie across the tunnel. At the end, Tess was waiting to pull them out.

"Now what, Tess?"

"We stick to the plan. Amherst's not far, but we might have to spend the night somewhere. Just need to find a house not filled with clickers."

"And how do you know Bill'll help us. Cause' last I recall, he threatened to shoot us if we tried to find him."

"Bill's a paranoid hick, but I knew him long before you and I met. He's rough around the edges, but he just wants to live. And he knows that the sooner he gives someone what they want, they'll leave him be."

That night, the three managed to find a small two-story house that, after a rigorous check by Joel, was determined to be free of infected. Ellie found a spare bedroom to sleep in, and Tess found another.

Joel volunteered to sleep near the front door in case of trouble, but Tess insisted he sleep with her.

"You're the only one I trust to keep us alive, Joel. So I need you fully rested. Just know that if you try to move over onto my side, I will shoot your dumb ass."


	4. Chapter 4

The town of Amherst was a small community that had been deserted since the infection spread to Massachusetts. Every living soul within was either dead or living somewhere else. The only one left was Bill, a man Joel both feared and respected. Feared, because he was a survivalist who didn't give a crap about anyone other than himself. Respected, because he'd managed to keep himself alive for God knows how long. Anyone who'd held onto their sanity for all those years was clearly someone you didn't fuck with.

Personally, he preferred not to interact with someone of Bill's character. But Tess said they needed a car, and Bill was probably the only guy she knew who had one. Or at the very least, could fix one up.

As they approached the outskirts of Amherst, Ellie was starstruck by how big the town was. Joel reasoned she'd never seen anything outside of the city.

Tess slowed her pace. "Watch your step. Bill's got all kinds of nasty shit all over this dump. Bombs, tripwires, traps. They're meant to kill infected, but he doesn't care if you get caught in the crossfire."

As they walked the streets. Ellie seemed distracted by all the sights. The pizzeria, the record store, the garden shop. Joel felt tempted to put a leash on her so she wouldn't get lost.

Next to the record shop, there was a small alleyway. Tess held up her hand.

"Stop moving. There's something over there."

A runner, a man who had only just developed the infection, came running towards them when he tugged on an invisible wire. A sudden explosion ripped his body into tiny little pieces.

"That was a nail bomb, sweetie. So you follow my lead, understand."

Ellie shook her head. From there on out, everyone kept their eyes wide open for any more wires.

Too careful, in fact. While slipping through an old warehouse, Joel got his leg trapped in a snare that pulled him halfway upside down while simultaneously alerting every infected in the general area.

Tess tossed Joel her gun. "Ellie, help me cut him down. Joel, cover us!"

As they worked in vain to cut through the snare, Joel fired away at the zombies trying to eat him. Suddenly, a masked man appeared from nowhere and sliced through the rope with his knife.

With him and Joel providing covering fire, Ellie and Tess ran through an abandoned laundromat and into an old bar with thick boards over all of the windows.

As soon as the masked man returned with Joel, he pistol-whipped him while pulling out another gun, which he kept trained on the women.

"Are you infected? Who the hell are you people? How do you know about this place?"

As soon as he was distracted, Ellie grabbed a bottle and smashed it over his head. Joel then wrestled the gun out of his hands and pointed it at his head.

"Don't shoot, don't shoot!", he squealed. Removing his mask, he identified himself as Bill.

Tess walked up. "It's me, Bill. I'm here to cash in that favor you owe me for last time."


	5. Chapter 5

Bill looked incredulous that someone would be asking him for a favor.

"Favor? I don't owe you nothing, Tess. Not a fucking thing!"

"I need a car, Bill."

"A car? You come into my town, set off all my traps, and let this fucking bitch (pointing to Ellie) nearly bash my head in. You want a car? Why not? Maybe I'll even throw in all my food while I'll at it."

"From the looks of it, you could do without some of that food."

"Now you listen here, you little shit."

"Fuck you!"

Joel stepped in. "Let's calm down. Bill, you and I both know we ain't leaving without a car."

Bill thought things over for a few seconds. Eventually, he took a map out from underneath the counter and spread it out.

"I don't have a car. But I might be able to fix one up."

"So what's keeping you?"

"Oh, just the fact that I don't have a FUCKING BATTERY, TESS! But I know where we can get one."

He pointed to the high school. "Back when they were evacuating everyone out of here, one of the supply trucks crashed and they had to leave it behind. No one's disturbed it in years, so the chances that it still works are pretty damn high."

"So can you get us there?"

"It's a part of town I've never explored. Probably full of infected and shit. We'll need to stock up at my place. And what about the girl?"

"She's coming with us, Bill."

"Tess, I don't need some brat getting in my way. This is dangerous shit!"

Tess refused to budge. Bill finally gave in and led them to his hideout in an old church.

While he and Joel gathered weapons and supplies, Ellie found herself going through Bill's stash of porn magazines.

"What are these, Joel?"

Joel snatched a copy out of her hands. "Not something you need to be looking at, Ellie."

The trip to the school was mostly uneventful, but as soon as the group reached the parking lot, all hell broke loose.

They barely managed to get inside before the entire horde descended on the school.

"We don't have much time before they break in."

"You know this place, Bill?"

"It's been years, but I still know my way around."

Eventually, they reached the school gym, where they were attacked by a large, tumor-ridden abomination. They managed to kill it, but had to use up most of their ammo.

"What the fuck was up with that guy?"

"He's a Bloater. Someone who's been infected for a long time. Best not to dwell on it."

Afterwards, they regrouped in a nearby house. Ellie went to go search the rooms while Tess, Joel, and Bill conferred.

"What the fuck happened, Bill?"

"Someone else stole my shit. That's all I can say."

"Now what?"

"Leave. Get the hell out of here. You damn near got me killed, Tess. You can stick your favor up your-"

"Don't you fucking bring that up, Bill!"

Bill was suddenly quiet. Joel noticed he was looking at something behind them.

It was a man in a Hawaiian shirt. He was hanging from the rafters.

"Who's that, Bill?"

"Frank. My partner. The only one I trusted in this whole goddamn world. He said he was looking for supplies, so I didn't think to go and check up on him." Bill looked like he would have started to cry if he still had any despair left in him.

"He's got bites. He knew what was going to happen."

"That he did. You son of a bitch!", he yelled as he cut down the body.

Just then, they heard the sound of a car starting in the garage.


	6. Chapter 6

As it turned out, Frank had stolen the battery. He was fixing up the car to escape when he was bitten. Bill was furious at the thought that his trusted partner had planned to leave him behind, but he had long since learned that when it came to survival, everyone was only doing what they could to live, same as he was.

Before the three departed, he gave them a gift. "Fuel hose. You'd be surprised how many cars still have gas in them."

As they headed down the road, Joel and Tess started talking.

"So where next, Tess?"

"We'll need as much food and ammo as we can find. Best place to go for that is Pittsburgh."

Joel shuddered when he heard that name. Pittsburgh had once been a safe zone, like Boston. But over the years, it had devolved into a lawless wasteland overrun with cannibals and manhunters who preyed on anyone they could find. He'd heard stories of people trying all sorts of routes to avoid the hunters, but who were eventually found and killed.

"Tess, maybe we should find somewhere else to look."

"There's no time, Joel."

"And just where are we going, anyway? Do you even know where we're supposed to take this girl?"

"No. But I bet Tommy does."

Tommy was Joel's brother. The two had been separated in the chaos following the initial outbreak, and Tommy ended up out west, where he had joined the Fireflies. Joel hadn't heard from him in years, but knew that he was somewhere in Colorado.

"That's not a good idea, Tess. I don't know where my brother is, and even so, I don't think he'll appreciate me showing up out of the blue."

"You got a better idea, Joel?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. First, we go somewhere else that isn't fucking Pittsburgh. Then, we consider our options and find the best way to get where we need to go without dying."

Finally, she conceded and they skipped the exit that would have taken them to Pittsburgh, instead heading for the nearby suburbs.

Joel stopped in front of a large house. "Looks empty. Let's shack up here for the night."

Ellie busied herself finding a place to sleep. Tess made dinner, while Joel sat outside and let his mind run free.

It occurred to him that, for the first time in years, he had something resembling his old life. Wife in the kitchen cooking, daughter fixing her bed, husband out on the porch resting after a hard day's work...

That was a life he'd forgotten about long ago. In the race for survival, having sentimental things like spouses or children was a liability. You had to feed them, shelter them, and worry about their safety every day. To him, Tess was only his partner, nothing more. Someone to keep him from turning into Bill.

And Ellie? She was no different from the shit he sold for a living. A package, a parcel, it didn't matter. They were all just things to be delivered.

But he couldn't help but wonder: _What if this was real?_


	7. Chapter 7

That night, Joel had a strange dream.

He was outside, at some kind of barbecue, a beer in his hand. All around were people he knew: Marlene, Robert, the two-timing dealer who'd been whacked after he stole Tess's guns, guys he'd killed over the years in turf wars between rival smugglers, and neighbors he remembered from back home in Texas. Before the world had gone to shit.

Just then, he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Tommy.

"Joel, you better have some actual shit to drink and not this piss water.", he said half-drunk, his empty beer bottle twirling in his hand. "When you got back from the service, I made sure to have only the best at your party, and I expect the same at mine."

Joel didn't know what to say. He and Tommy had both served, but neither had thrown the other a party when they returned. Money was too tight.

"Tommy, what the fuck is going on?"

Tommy laughed. "I thought you'd remember, Joel. This is MY party, and I want you to put a fucking smile on your face."

Just then, a woman's voice called out. "Joel, Bill's almost finished with the ribs."

Joel knew that voice. He turned around to see Tess, standing there without any dirt on her face, her hair in a green bandana, wearing faded jeans and a pink tank top.

And she had a ring on her finger. A diamond ring. Joel held up his own hand. He had one as well.

Tommy walked off as Tess approached her husband. "Joel, I need you to snap out of whatever funk you're in and help me set the table."

"I'll help."

A girl of about 14 or 15 came running up in a beige "Savage Starlight" shirt. And it wasn't Sarah.

"Ellie, help your father set the table. I'll get the salad out of the fridge."

Just then, Joel opened his eyes. He was in the same bed he'd been in last night, in the same rotten house. He was awake.

Tess and Ellie were already packing up their things when he came down.

"How you'd sleep, Papa Bear?"

"Not funny, Tess. We need to refuel and keep moving."

"How far to Tommy's?"

"Another day or two. I just hope you're ready to be disappointed. My brother and I are not on speaking terms."

"Are things really that bad, Joel?"

"They are, Ellie. And I'd rather not make them any worse."


	8. Chapter 8

According to Joel's memory, Tommy had last been seen somewhere near Jackson County, up where the last signs of civilization existed.

"There's a large hydroelectric dam up the river. The Fireflies used to have a base there, but they abandoned this area a long time ago. Not enough people, not worth the risk."

"And you're sure Tommy'll be up there."

"If I know my brother, he doesn't like to leave home any more than I do."

Making their way up the river to the dam was a trip that took over an hour, not the least because another raft had to be made so Ellie could be ferried across the water.

Finally, though, they reached the perimeter of the dam. Despite the area around it looking completely deserted, the fortified state of the outer gate indicated that someone lived there.

Just then, a loud call could be heard. "Trespassers! All guards to the wall!"

Dozens of rifles were cocked and pointed over the wall at the group. A blonde woman shouted out orders to hold fire.

"Who are you and what do you what?"

Joel spoke up. "I'm looking for my brother Tommy."

"Wait, did he say Tommy?"

"Tommy! Your brother's here!"

The gate was unlocked, while the rifles withdrew back into the wall.

A large man, about the same size as Joel, came running out with the woman behind him.

"Joel! Sweet Jesus, I thought you were dead! Why the hell didn't you try to find me?"

"You know why, Tommy. I wasn't gonna get mixed up with your Firefly pals."

"Then you'll be glad to know I'm not with them anymore. When they left, they gave me a choice: stay with them or stay behind. As you can see, (he held the woman's hand) I chose to stay with her. This is Maria, my wife."

"And who's this?", he asked as he looked at Tess.

"Her name's Tess. She's my partner."

"Sure she is, bro. Now get in here."

Everyone entered the compound, and the massive gates were closed.

"Maria, why don't you let Ellie and Tess help feed the horses?", he said as he gestured towards the massive beasts near the stables. "Joel, you and I have a lot to talk about, but I need to check on our generators, so you'll have to follow me."

Inside his office in the generator room, he sat Joel down.

"First things first, I have to ask: why are you traveling with a lady and a kid?"

"That's none of your damn business, Tommy. I just came here to ask you a question."

"And what's that?"

"This girl says she supposed to go to some Firefly base out west. You know where it is."

"I do, but I'll tell you only if you answer me an important question."

"Sure."

"You ever want to start a family, Joel?"

Before he could answer, the alarm sounded. "Bandits! Rally the troops!"


	9. Chapter 9

As the two brothers emerged from the dam, it seemed like the end was already at hand. Despite suffering heavy casualties, the bandits had managed to set fire to the bunkhouse and the supply room, and countless settlers were dead. Tommy managed to find a survivor who informed him that Maria and the others were still unaccounted for.

"They're still in the bunkhouse! We have to get inside!"

Fighting with a fury neither man knew he possessed, they slaughtered a handful of bandits who hadn't been able to escape and broke into the still-burning bunkhouse, where they found survivors desperately trying to put out the flames.

Maria and Tess were chopping up a captured bandit with an axe, with blood on their faces and clothes to indicate that they had fought a long, pitched battle. Ellie was busy helping the damage control teams by filling up buckets with water.

Joel and Tommy helped her, and before long, the fires were out. Tommy and Maria left to round up their workers and begin making repairs to the settlement.

That left Joel, Tess, and Ellie alone. And Joel decided that it was time for him to confront the issue that had been bugging him for quite some time.

"Tess, you know how much I appreciate you, and what you've done for me."

"Cowboy, if you're trying to say you love me, then just spit it out already."

"Yeah, I love you. Ever since you pulled my ass out of that mess in Boston."

"Well, I couldn't just stand there and let a handsome fella like you just slip through my fingers, now could I?"

"Ugh, just get a room already!"

Ellie crawled out from her hiding place. Just then, Tommy returned.

"Seems I need to get you folks out of here. Follow me."

On horseback, the group took a long trek that ended over at sunset, at the edge of a cliff.

Ahead of them was a large, sprawling college campus, with wire and barricades over the front gates and walls.

"Welcome, parents and kids, to the University of Eastern Colorado.", Tommy did in his best promoter drawl. "If you're looking for Fireflies, you'll find them in the science center. Course, it's been years, but maybe you'll get lucky."

Joel helped Tess and Ellie down. "Thanks, Tommy. Maybe one day you two will patch things up?"

"Maybe, Ellie. I've got to think things over. See if there's any love left in my heart for this man. For now, try not to die."


	10. Chapter 10

Once inside the university, Ellie declared that she wanted some food. Joel was getting pretty hungry himself, and with the sun going down, it was decided that the group would take a quick meal before checking the science building for Fireflies.

The school cafeteria had long been cleared of any remaining supplies it held, but Tess was able to find some boxes of cereal packed tightly behind one of the storage cabinets. Someone had probably meant to hide these, but got infected before they could recover them. There was also a single bowl and spoon, as if to immediately confirm her suspicions. She poured out a bowl and put it in front of a seated Ellie.

"Mom, where's the milk?", she asked like a pouty child at breakfast.

Tess replied, appropriately, in her overworked mother voice. "Young lady, YOU WILL EAT WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU OR I'M CALLING YOUR FATHER!"

While Ellie quietly munched on the cereal, Tess joined Joel for some mush he'd managed to scrape out of a few tin cans. It wasn't much, but between the two of them, they knew the problems between them were not hunger-based.

"Joel, we need to figure this shit out."

"And what shit is there to figure out, Tess?"

"You. Me. This girl. We're all starting to act funny. She thinks I'm her mother, and that this is some goddamn family road trip, what with all the sights to see and the Clickers to pet."

"And what's so wrong with that, Tess? The girl probably doesn't have any family or anyone she can trust aside from Marlene. If she wants us to be her parents, that just makes it easier for us to deliver her."

"But I don't know what the hell I'm doing, Joel! This girl needs a mother, and I am not a GODDAMN MOTHER!"

Joel remained silent, instead shifting his gaze. Tess turned around, and there was Ellie.

Tess felt tempted to say, "Sweetie, please, I didn't mean it..." But she stopped herself. Because deep down, she was telling the truth. She didn't know how to be a mother. She didn't know how to care for a young girl bordering on her teenage years. And she didn't have the heart to lie to Ellie and tell her she was something she wasn't.

Ellie could have run off, and Joel felt he couldn't blame her. But instead, she grabbed her bag.

"We should probably get to the building before night falls. The clickers always like to hunt at night."

Joel nodded, and he and Tess followed her across the desolate campus to the science building. With a roof covered in solar panels, it was likely the only place in the entire area with power. Inside, they found all sorts of makeshift labs and medical wards, the walls covered with Firefly graffiti.

It seemed odd that the group would leave behind so much valuable equipment and gear, especially since most of it looked to still be in working condition. But when they reached the head scientist's office, it all became clear.

A dead body, pistol in hand, lay slumped over the desk. A small recorder nearby recounted its final days.

"This is Dr. Matthew Chen, head surgeon here at Western Facility #7 at the former East Colorado University. A week ago, I received orders to shut down this facility and transfer all of its resources to Facility #8, in the former General Hospital of Salt Lake City, effective immediately. During transit, some of our runners broke free and infected a number of my staff, who had to be euthanized on the spot. Sadly, one of them managed to bite me before I terminated him, and so I've decided to die on my own terms. If you're here looking for a cure, it doesn't exist and never will. If you're looking for the Fireflies, go to Salt Lake City. I can only hope they're still there, wasting what little time they have left on this world..."

As his voice died down, a beam of light could be seen flashing from the other side. "Search this place for food and medicine. Tear apart whatever you have to, but David wants a full load when we return."

Joel checked the corridor. "Looks like we'll have to fight our way out. Follow me, girls."

By picking off the hunters one by one, he was able to gradually lead them back to the main atrium. There, one of them tackled him off the balcony and all the way down to the first floor. Tess and Ellie found him barely alive, a long metal pole stuck right through his side.

"Ellie, grab the horses."

Tess eased Joel off the pipe and did her best to wrap him up. She then hauled him onto her horse, and she and Ellie took off into the night.


	11. Chapter 11

Staring out across a cold, wintry plain, Ellie steadied her hand. She felt the bowstring pull, the arrow tightening as it was aimed.

A deer, eating some leaves it had found under the snow, was silent and content, unaware of the danger it was in.

Behind Ellie, Tess muttered some encouraging words into her ear.

"There you go, Elle. Just let it fly naturally. Don't tense up, just shoot."

Things had not gone well since the incident at the university. Ellie had found some medicine, enough to keep Joel from dying, but he was still too weak to be of much help. As a result, Tess had been forced to take responsiblility for finding food and shelter, but being an experienced smuggler, it wasn't as hard for her as she had feared. Just today, she had managed to find some houses near an old resort in Idaho or South Dakota or wherever the hell they were. There were places to hide Joel without having to worry about him being discovered or harmed.

And now she and Ellie were out hunting for some fresh meat. Tess knew some things that Joel had taught her years ago, but aside from a good-sized dog or buck, living in a city gave you few chances to put them to use. But damn it, she was going to try. For Joel.

Ellie took a deep breath and released her finger. The arrow went flying, striking the deer right on its hind quarters. The beast let out a shriek of pain, then ran off into the woods.

Ellie drew a new arrow and followed it, with Tess code behind. Eventually, they found the deer's corpse, the snow around it soaked with blood.

Tess brought out the carving knife she'd found in the house where Joel lay. "Here. This'll work a lot better then your little pigsticker."

With her help, Ellie managed to get a few pounds of flesh off the creature, which were then wrapped up and placed in her bag. "Let's keep looking".

Further down the field, they came across an old lumber yard, abandoned and covered with ice. It looked to be picked clean, but perhaps there was something left to salvage.

The first place they checked was the foreman's shack, near the sawmill. As they began to rummage through drawers and boxes, the door opened. On instinct, they turned around with their weapons pointed forward.

"Don't shoot!", came the reply. A bearded man in a blue coat, holding a long machete. Next to him stood a young man with a rifle in his hands.

Ellie kept her bow trained on them. Tess asked the inevitable question.

"Who the hell are you?"

"The name's David. My friend and I are hunting for some meat, and it seems our paths have crossed. You two ladies wouldn't happen to be in need of some food, would you?"

The words came out in a comforting voice, like an old preacher or father figure. Tess didn't feel like she could trust this man, but the reality was simple and straight-forward: she and her group were lost in these woods and if these two knew where they could find better shelter or more supplies, then they had to accept their help.

"Ellie, let them go. Now."

Reluctantly, Ellie lowered her bow. David put away his machete in turn.

"Now, we've got some food and fuel stashed in the old lumber yard nearby, and you can take some if you need it. Otherwise, this is where our paths end."

Tess and Ellie decided to take him up on his offer. The supplies were kept in a large, elevated room through which rusted rails were the only tangible sign of prior human activity. Just as they were prepared to leave, they heard the characteristic roar of a Bloater.

David and his companion retrieved some homemade Molotovs. "Throw these at my signal, and we'll roast this bastard!"

As he predicted, the Bloater quickly went down, its massive frame smelling of burnt fungi. Unfortunately, the fire quickly spread throughout the small, airless room, and both Tess and Ellie found themselves short of breath.

As they fell into unconsciousness, they could hear David running over. "They're still alive. Bring them to the house and..."


	12. Chapter 12

When Tess came to, the first thing she felt was a sudden chill in the air.

But this wasn't the gentle, bone-chilling air of the outdoors. It was harsh, stale, and moist. _Air conditioning._

As her eyes adjusted to the lights, her other senses began to return. First, she noticed a strange tightness around her neck. A dog collar had been fastened there, attached to a long chain bolted to the wall. Her hands were also tied together.

In front of her, Ellie was crawling around, trying to get her own bearings. Unlike Tess, she wasn't chained up.

 _What is this place_ _?_ , Tess asked herself. And then she figured it out.

Because not two spaces from her and Ellie's cell was a stack of... _bodies_. Wrapped in plastic, like steaks or fish.

From what she could tell, they were nearly all female. Most looked to be adult women in their 30's, 40's, or 50's, judging by how much grey was in their hair. A fair number were teenagers or young girls, and she could pick out at least one old lady with quite a few layers of fat on her.

Above them hung large meat hooks with sheets of flesh drying out. Tess could barely open her mouth to tell Ellie to look away, but regardless, it was already too late. The girl's eyes practically fell out of her head when she saw what she surely must have thought was the fate that would soon befall her.

Just then, a door opened. A man entered, holding a tray. He knelt down and slipped it through the bars.

"Eat up, miss."

Ellie instinctively backed away.

The man briefly looked puzzled, but then it dawned on him. "I assure you, this isn't human. It's the deer you shot. I personally prepared it for you."

Still, Ellie refused to touch it.

The man stood up. "By now, I can only assume you know what I have to do. Nothing personal, but this is survival. Survival for me, and for my people. I'm sure you'd do the same if you were in my position."

He walked over to the table and picked up a large cleaver. "This is how it's always been. When we find menfolk, we put them to work until they collapse, and then we feed them to our dogs and horses. But the womenfolk, they're more trouble then they're worth. Believe me, I know. Which is why I make sure they nourish our hearts and souls, every last piece and bit."

He pointed the cleaver at Tess. "What about you, miss? Would you like to go first, or should I start with your little girl?"

Ellie threw herself over Tess. "No, please! Take me first, but leave her alone!"

The man grinned and walked over to unlock the door. Tess tried to will herself to move, to grab Ellie, to tell that son-of-a-bitch he better be ready to lose a hand if he dared lay it upon her baby girl...

But nothing happened. She was just too weak.

Before the lock turned, another man came running in. "David, we got a problem. Some old guy whacked half our men, and we just lost him near the gas station."

David turned to Ellie. "It seems your hour of judgement will have to wait until this invader is driven off. Don't you dare try to escape, or you suffer a far crueler punishment than what I had planned."

As soon as he walked out and the door slammed shut, Ellie turned to Tess. Both women had tears running down their eyes.

Because they knew who the old man was. And they knew that there was nothing they could do to help him.


	13. Chapter 13

Panting, tired, bloody, hunted.

Really, just another day in the life of a survivor. But this time was different. Joel could tell that these people weren't just bandits or rogues; the looks on their faces, like hungry lions looking for a wounded zebra or gazelle, confirmed what was already lurking in the back of his mind: _cannibals_. He'd heard rumors as far back as Tommy's dam, but it all seemed so farfetched, the idea that in this cruel, cold world, there were those who chose to eat each other to live. He wondered whether he'd feel guilt about killing them, knowing that they, like him, were simply hunting for their next meal.

But this wasn't the time to debate the morality of his situation. Right now, all that mattered was finding Tess and Ellie.

Inside their cell, Ellie finally gave into her hunger and ate some of the meat. As promised, it was, in fact, deer. She made sure to leave some for Tess, who was slowly regaining the feeling in her muscles.

No words were spoken, but they both knew that Joel needed help. And they needed to escape before David returned.

Ellie retrieved her knife from where she had hidden it in the seat of her jeans; David's friend had been too modest to feel her ass when he patted her down. The lock on the door was rusted from a lack of maintenance; a few good whacks had been enough to spring it loose.

With Tess on her arm, Ellie slowly crawled to the front. It became clear that they were in the backroom of an old pet shop just across from the slaughterhouse. David's men were still running around outside, guns in their hands, yelling at each other through the shrieking winds.

"Where is he?"

"I need a light! Search every building!"

"I'm checking over here!"

The door slowly swung open, and a man in a green jacket and a knit cap entered, a pistol in his left hand. He began working his way to the back of the store, making no effort to keep quiet. Ellie carefully moved around him, and jumped on his back, plunging her switchblade into his neck. A few stabs, and he was bleeding out all over the floor.

Tess picked up the gun. "I'll find Joel. Stay here, Ellie."

"No. I'm coming with you."

"It's too dangerous. Snow's too thick; it'll be impossible for me to keep an eye on you."

"Don't worry. I'll be with you the entire time."

The cannibals slowly worked their way through every dwelling and crevice in town; each was picked off one by one without so much as a peep. Eventually, the few who were still alive made their way back to David, who, despite the look of calm serenity on his face, was filled with seething rage at how two goddamn women and an old fool had outwitted him.

"It seems God himself has sent me a message. When those who plot against you hide in the shadows, lure them out with righteousness. Get the girl. Bring her to the restaurant. We're ending this."


	14. Chapter 14

Tess and Ellie had spent all day trying to find Joel. But the storm was getting worse, and they were no closer to success. Finally, the cold got to be too much for Tess. Ellie noticed, and they headed towards the nearest shelter they could find. Overhead, in fading letters, was written: "STEAKHOUSE".

The place looked well-maintained, and though there were dishes and shit scattered all over the floor, at least it was warm inside. Ellie left Tess to curl up on one of the pleated leather seats while she went to find something to burn.

Outside, David's men, having followed their tracks, carefully circled the building. They pushed boxes loaded with bricks and other heavy materials in front of the only door to block it. They opened cans of precious gasoline and poured the contents on several exposed portions of the roof and walls. The steakhouse was made largely of cheap wood and flammable siding. The only fire extinguishers had been removed long ago.

As Ellie found an old lantern in the kitchen and set about finding a match, a cigarette was smoked and the butt tossed on the roof. A small flame sparked up, and began to spread. By the time Tess smelled the smoke, flaming bits of wood were raining down into the dining area.

"Ellie!"

"Shit! Stay there!"

She ran over to the faucets. No running water. No extinguishers.

She tried the door. Something was blocking it. The windows were covered with thick boards, too thick to break. There was a small window in the kitchen, but it was too high to reach.

The smoke was getting thicker. Tess started to cough. She took off her coat and tried to wrap one of the sleeves around her nose, with little success.

Ellie's eyes were stinging. It was getting harder to focus, what with all the heat and smoke. She started to feel faint...

"Ellie!"

What happened next was a blur, as Ellie's eyes closed and opened. She could see Tess trying, with all her might, to break down the door. But she was too weak.

Then, she heard a voice. "TESS! ELLIE!"

"WE'RE IN HERE, JOEL! GET US THE FUCK OUT!"

The sound of boxes overturning could be heard. The door opened.

Ellie could feel strong arms picking her up. The rush of air as someone carried her out of the burning building, fireman style.

Then more arms, wrapping around her. Suddenly, she found herself in a dream.

"So, kiddo, ready for your presents?"

"What presents?"

"The ones under the tree, sweetie. Your father saved up all year to get them for you, you know."

"Aren't we supposed to tell her Santa brought them?"

"Joel, she's almost a teenager."

"Right, right. Time passes by so quickly around here."

"Yeah, time does pass when we're not having to run for our damn lives every second of every day. Now hush up! Ellie, pick whichever one you like."


	15. Chapter 15

When she woke up, it was to the smell of cooking food on a fire. Joel was the first to notice.

"Tess, she's awake."

Ellie felt soft hands wrap around her as Tess, without a sound or a lick of hesitation, threw her arms around her. For a while, nothing was said, and everyone just soaked in the emotion of the moment.

When Tess finally let go, Joel explained what had happened. "Baby girl, we carried you all the way here after you passed out. You've been asleep for weeks, and in that time, we've decided that the best thing to do is to hand you over to the Fireflies and be on our way back to Boston."

"Joel, you can't be fucking serious..."

"Tess, I am making the right decision for both of us. Now, listen to me. That girl is going to help a lot of people, we've made sure of that. But this is where it ends. We can't raise her. We're not her parents. We don't have the right to make that choice for her."

Tess looked at Ellie, hints of tears streaming down her eyes. "Ellie, please..."

"Tess, Joel's right. I love both of you. I wish you were my parents, and that none of this shit was happening. But if I can help, if I have the cure is my blood or wherever, then I have to do the right thing. I'll never forget you, Tess."

This was too much for the hardened smuggler. She grabbed Ellie once again, crying and bawling. Joel eventually had to pry her off and wait until she'd regained control of her emotions. Finally, she admitted that he was right.

With that, they made their way to the General Hospital, where a team of Fireflies in military armor and helmets stopped them at the entrance. Eventually, Marlene was summoned to vouch for their story. Everyone was brought inside, and Marlene brought Joel and Tess to an examination room for a private talk.

"You got here just in time. The doctors are already working on a plan to extract the cure, prepare it, and send it out to everyone under our protection. Before long, this nightmare will end. And then we'll finally start rebuilding the nation."

Joel interrupted. "What about FDRA? The government?"

"What government? The only government we recognize is our own. And once we bring an end to the virus, anyone who doesn't like that can shove it up their ass."

"What about Ellie?"

"What about her?"

"Will she be okay?"

"You need to forget about her. You held up your end of the deal, so now this is where we part ways. I'll make sure you have whatever supplies you need to go wherever you want. We Fireflies take care of our friends."

"Marlene, just answer her. What are you going to do to Ellie?"

"Fine. You want an answer? Ellie will be undergoing surgery in less than four hours. It will be a long, complicated procedure that will require us cutting into her brain to extract the healthy matter."

"Wait, you're doing brain surgery on her? Won't that..."

"Yes, Joel, it will kill her. Should I have mentioned that earlier? Ellie is making a sacrifice for the good of all mankind."

"Does she know that?"

"No. And she never will. It's easier that way."

Tess had heard enough. "You fucking..."

Marlene took the gun from her back pocket and aimed it squarely at Tess. "If you try to interfere, in any way, I will kill you. The guard posted outside has orders to kill you if you try to leave this room. The guards walking the halls have orders to kill you if you try to find the operating theater. Stay here, and you have my word that you'll be safe. Tomorrow, you'll be on your way. In a few months, you'll forget Ellie. And we'll never have to see each other again."

With that, she holstered the gun and left.


	16. Chapter 16

Tess refused to let Joel touch her. In his mind, he knew she blamed him for this. Ellie was going to die, and they'd just let it happen, all because she listened to him. To hell with the cure, or an end to suffering. Joel knew that Tess's maternal instincts had taken over from her best judgement. She would never forget Ellie. It was like the Fireflies had ripped her own child from her.

And to his surprise, Joel found that he now regretted what he had done. Seeing Tommy, and the life he'd built with Maria had reminded him of the choice he made to give up on settling down after Sarah died. It had been easier to go to a big city, where no one knew who he was, and spend every day fighting and hustling, knowing that any second he could get hit by a stray bullet, or get bitten, or starve to death, or a million other things, any one of which would finally rid him of the guilt he felt from abandoning Tommy.

But now, life presented him with a different choice. He could stay where he was, let the Fireflies kill Ellie, and try to pick up the pieces of his life with Tess, however impossible that seemed. Or he could do what his heart told him he had to do.

The guard posted outside was trying to light his last cigarette when he heard a knock. "Can we get some water or something, pal?"

When the guard returned with a cup of water, he stepped inside to hand it to Joel. As soon as he did, he felt something against his throat. Tess was holding an unfolded paper clip she'd found in a drawer like an ice pick directly under his chin.

"You know, if I wanted to, I could ram this straight through your fucking neck. You scream, you move, it goes straight in."

Joel took the guard's gun. "Where's the girl?"

The man didn't respond.

"I ain't got time for this."

He put the gun directly agains the guard's crotch and fired. The man bit his tongue in pain as his testicles exploded from the impact, one after the other. "Top floor."

Joel motioned to Tess to drop the guard and shot him in the head. They could hear voices down the hall. "Gunshots! Spread out and find them!"

Slowly but surely, Joel and Tess managed to fight their way through a half dozen Fireflies to reach the operating theater, where they could hear the doctors getting ready to begin the surgery. Without thinking, Tess kicked the door open.

The head doctor yelled at them to leave, but when Tess ignored him and went to check on Ellie, he tried to rush her with a scalpel in his hand. Joel calmly shot him and kept his gun on the other two while Tess carefully eased Ellie into her arms. By that point, reinforcements had been summoned and Joel took a few shots at them while Tess took off sprinting. They found an elevator that led to the pediatric ward, where guards chased them all the way to the parking garage before Joel was able to disable the second elevator and cut them off.

Just then, Marlene fired a shot into the air. "Weapons on the ground, now."

Joel did as she told him and placed his gun on the pavement. Marlene motioned him to kick it over, which he also did.

"You have no fucking idea what you've just done, do you? That man you killed was the only surgeon qualified to perform that procedure. It'll take months, maybe even years before we find a replacement, and in that time, people who we could have saved, will die. Think about that. Because of your selfish fucking decision, you've killed them. But you don't care, do you? You never did. Have you even thought about what's best for Ellie? Better she die here, in our care, then out there, where she'll be torn to pieces by clickers or drown in a creek or some other shit that you can't save her from. You know I'm right, Joel, so tell your bitch to put the girl down, and I'll let you walk out of here."

She put her gun down. "I know you love her, but Ellie's not yours. She's not mine. She belongs to no one. She's our savior. For once in your lives, do the right thing and let her go." She started walking over, her hands raised.

"Tess, do as she says."

Just as Marlene reached out for Ellie, she felt a bolt of lightning strike her torso. Looking down, she saw the smoke from the barrel of Tess's concealed gun.

"Please, take her with you."

"You'd just come after her again." With that, another shot rang out and Marlene was no more.


	17. Chapter 17

Weeks later, Joel stopped the truck just outside of Tommy's camp. Everyone climbed outside as Tess stopped to retie her boots and Ellie unfolded and folded her switchblade.

"Now listen up. Tommy doesn't know we're coming, so I want complete silence. Let me break the news to him, and we'll be fine."

"Which one? That Ellie's ours or that we need an engagement ring?"

"Like I said, let me do the talking."

It was a long, slow walk to the barbed wire fence that surrounded the camp. From there, they could see a vast field of dozens of tents and plowed fields, with large windmills off the side generating electricity. This was the future of the United States, and Joel knew that both he and Tess wouldn't live to see it realized. But Ellie would.

Just as they prepared to cross over, Ellie stopped. "Joel, Tess, tell me the truth. What happened at the hospital? Did they find the cure?"

The two looked at each other, and Tess chose to take the initiative. "Plans change, Ellie. Marlene told us that they didn't need you. They found some other kid, same as you, and since they didn't have anywhere to send you, they let us take you home. That's what happened."

"Swear to me that you're telling the truth."

"I swear to you, that's what happened."

"Okay. I trust you."

Joel looked impatient. "Can we get moving now?"

"Sure, Joel. Just hope you can do the talking."


End file.
